In all the explicit Greek political thought or theory one possesses, and in a good deal of other informal political literature besides, the rule of the nomoi or of plain Nomos in the abstract was a given within the framework of the polis. The typical ancient polis was a republic, not a monarchy, nor a fortiori an extra- or anti-constitutional tyranny or dictatorship. Greek religion, moreover, like Roman, was system ideologically committed to the public, not the private, sphere. All ancient Greek culture was inherently performative and competitive, and Greek intellectuals reflected the competitiveness of politics in both the manner and the matter of their own internal disputes. The dominant tradition of ancient Greek political theory, as opposed to mere political thinking or thought, that took its rise round about the same time was dedicated to the proposition that the Simonidean formula was a necessary but not a sufficient condition of political virtue and excellence.

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